


Heart and Solo

by Twilexis (AlexisErnst)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Double Bladed Lightsaber (Star Wars), F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Jedi Ben Solo, Jedi Rey (Star Wars), Lightsaber Construction (Star Wars), Lightsaber Training (Star Wars), Lightsabers (Star Wars), POV Ben Solo, POV Rey (Star Wars), Parents Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Planet Sorgan (Star Wars), Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Protective Rey (Star Wars), Redeemed Ben Solo, Star Wars References, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, The Force, The Mandalorian (TV) References, The Mandalorian (TV) Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:48:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29139555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexisErnst/pseuds/Twilexis
Summary: The ending of The Rise of Skywalker didn’t actually happen the way Abrams tells it.  Ben Solo is redeemed and survives, and so does Rey.  Now, their lives has taken a complete 180. This story depicts their new lives together after the events of TROS on a planet were there’s no star port, no industrial centers, and no population destiny, also known as Sorgan.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Morning Routine

I wake with the dawn light pouring into the window. The birds outside are already chirping and there’s a slight breeze rustling the needles of the pine trees. With a sigh I roll over, sliding my arm across my husband’s bare chest, and nuzzle my cheek against him. His warm familiar smooth skin ripples beneath me as he slides his hand down my back, holding me closer. 

“It’s morning,” I mumble, still utterly groggy.

His brown eyes are still closed but a smirk spreads across his face. I look out the window directly in front of us. We are almost one with our surroundings; the open window lets in the warmth. The only thing we can see out of our window is a never-ending expanse of pine trees; the smell always lingering on our furniture, on our clothes, and in our hair. Beams of light are scattered around our room from the sunlight that seeps between the tightly woven walls; every morning one always lands on my forehead; of which Ben kisses just before he gets out of bed.

I grab his face before he can pull it away, “Not so fast Solo.”

His lips come down to meet mine, kissing me hard. He bites my bottom lip and I groan in pleasure. He pulls away abruptly, “Shh. You’ll wake the little monster.”

I roll my eyes, “I’m going to wake her up soon anyways.” I pull his face to mine again and give him one last long kiss before he rolls over and jumps out of bed. He throws my clothes at me but I snatch them out of the air. I watch Ben as he gets dressed, the muscles of his broad back and shoulders moving as he pulls over his shirt. As runs his large hand through his dark hair. Maker, I can’t believe he’s mine.

After we are both dressed, we grab our sabers, then descend the stairs of our lofted room. Ben heads to our little kitchen and I round the corner to the wake up our daughter, Brynn. She sleeps soundly on her little bed. Her dark brown hair a silky cloud around her face; her lips pucker from being squished against her pillow. The left side of her face exposed, displaying the little birthmark on her cheekbone. I kneel down beside the bed and rub her back. 

“Brynn, time to wake up,” I lean over to kiss the top of her head just before she stirs. She rolls over with a sigh. I pull her up so she sits, but she keeps her eyes closed in childlike protest; no five-year-old enjoys waking up at dawn. By the time I’m done getting her dressed, she is wide awake, squirming while I braid her hair. My fingers dance over her head as each separate strand floats over and under until every pretty little hair on her head is perfect; only to be ruined in a matter of minutes the moment she steps outside. Meanwhile, Ben prepares our breakfast. A hardy concoction of blue milk, a mix of local and imported fruit, warm bread, eggs, and fresh cheese.

“Mummy, Are you done yet?” Brynn whines to mean.

I knot the string holding her braids together one last time, “Yes.”

She jumps off the chair and runs to Ben pours her milk to the brim of the glass. Brynn takes it from the tabletop and chugs it wildly. When she’s finished her lip is lined with a blue milkstache.

“Good morning, Daddy,” she burps. She looks up to Ben with her dark blue eyes, “Is there food for Tobbi today?”

“Always,” Ben smirks and chuckles, “but only if you can catch it.” He throws half of a slice of cheese across the hut, but before it slaps the ground-or the wall-Brynn holds up her hand and pulls it right back without any concentration.

Ben raises an eyebrow, “You’ve got something on your face.”

“Where?!” Brynn asks, crossing her eyes to try to look at her lips.

Ben wiggles a finger on her neck and makes her squirm and squeal, “Right there.” 

I saunter over to retrieve my share of breakfast, handing Brynn a cloth to wipe her face with, “How many times must I ask you both to stop playing with your food?”

“At least once more,” Ben jokes, shoving a piece of cheese into my mouth, then pulling me in for a kiss.

“Ewwwwwww,” Brynn cringes, embarrassed by our show of affection. We shove our mouths full of the juicy fruits and the crunchy bread then head outside.

The sun has risen higher and peaks over the tall pine trees now. Tobbi, one of the many Loth-cats of our village, is casually grooming himself right outside our hut. Brynn wanders over to him and gives the cat a big hug. Tobbi squirms out of her grasp and sits at her feet, his tiny black eyes staring down the piece of cheese she saved from hitting our dirty floor. He meows and purrs obnoxiously; head cocked to the side while his large tabby brown tail flicks happily. 

Tobbi follows Brynn absolutely everywhere; including our training hut. If it weren’t for Ben’s fur allergy Tobbi would be welcome in our hut. Every morning we walk deeper into the forest, Tobbi in tow, to our training hut. When we first arrived on Sorgan we built this spot to help us figure out our new relationship to the Force; one that wasn’t Jedi or Sith, but our own interpretation and understanding. Now as we learn, we train Brynn. Having us as parents, and the incredible lineage behind her; we were not surprised when she first showed signs of being force-sensitive before she was two years old. 

We come up to the training hut. Inside, I’ve stored the Jedi texts that I saved from Ach-To along with other relics Ben and I have found throughout the last few years. We store our training sabers, holocrons, extra clothes, snacks, and anything else that would help us improve our skills. Outside the hut is were we sit to meditate and practice our saber techniques.

While we sit, I close my eyes and let the heat of the morning air wrap around me like a blanket. It’s not nearly as sweltering as it was on Jakku but enough to make me want a nice cold cup of spotchka. Every day, I always reflect on how lucky we are to call Sorgan our home. After the Battle of Exegol, Ben and I needed a place where life was simple and nobody knew who we were. It was a break from the chaos of the last few years. Ben needed time to figure himself out and I needed to be there for him. The villagers we now live among were welcoming and encouraging. They welcomed us into their culture and where patient enough to teach us krill farming and spotchka brewing. They assisted with making our home and our training hut. The women taught me how to sew and dye fabric; they were all there to help me while I was pregnant with Brynn. Ben made it his mission to make up for all the years he lost and has become a friend to many of the other men in the community.

We’ve practically cut ourselves off from the rest of the galaxy, but not completely. C3-PO and R2-D2 came with us, but they stay in the main village helping the community; Threepio as a teacher and Artoo as a jack-of-all-trades droid. We haven’t been off world in nearly six years, but our friends with the ships make it a point to come visit. Between settling disputes and helping people throughout the galaxy Finn, Poe, Rose, and Chewie come to Sorgan-I’d like to say it’s to visit me, but it’s mostly to see Brynn.

My mind wanders back to the present. The three of us sit in a triangle, all facing the middle. I reach out to them through the Force. I can feel Brynn’s distracted and restless mind. I reach out to her through the force. Focus Brynn. Don’t let your mind wander; feel the force around you. Let it calm your mind. Breathe in. Breathe it out. Let it tell you what it wants you to know.   
I can sense that she relaxes more and her mind is more steady. I’m proud of her for continuing to try, some days aren’t so easy. I focus on connecting myself to everything around me. I reach out to Brynn and Ben and allow them to connect to me; when they do it’s electrifying. The force pulses and numbs me. I lift off the air but I barely notice; it’s just me, my husband and daughter, and the Force rippling between us. Soon the three of us are such deep meditation the objects around us begin to float and move around, including poor Tobbi. I reach out a hand towards Tobbi, gently lower him to the ground and detach the Force link from him before he floats too far away. 

Then, without warning Brynn abruptly states, “I have to pee.”

I open my eyes and scowl at her. Our concentration broken in that instant and we float gently back down to the ground. My senses come back and I’m suddenly alert of the chirps from the birds and the branches swaying in the breeze. She gives me a cheeky smile before sprinting to go relieve herself. Before I can get to my feet, a purple glow appears under my field of vision.   
“Nice try,” Ben teases. I look up at him from where I’m sitting, his saber is dangerously close to my neck. 

As a reply I push his blade away from my face, using the force. Once its out of range of damaging my face, I summersault forward and jump to my feet and activate my saber. Anticipating him behind me I whirl around with as much power as I can manage to block is saber. My yellow blade meets his purple one. He towers over me and pushes me back, into the trees. I duck and spin, block him high and low. At some point Brynn comes back and watches us while she pets Tobbi. Eventually Ben has me pinned to the trunk of a tree and I’m too exhausted to continue.

“You win,” I huff. 

“Not quite,” he says. He deactivates his saber then leans in and pecks my lips hard, “Now I win.”

I roll my eyes and punch him in the stomach.


	2. Memories and Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we dive deeper into Sorganian culture and we learn more about little Brynn Solo.

Rey's POV

“What would you like me to work on?”

I’m sitting outside of a villager’s house, among a group of women and girls, holding a needle and thread. Everyone is quietly talking to each other as they diligently work on what’s infront of them. We are shaded behind a tall roof of the hut. There’s a slight breeze that carries the fresh smell of pine.

“Would you sew the buttons on the back?” A young woman with long black hair and dark tanned skin hands me a white shirt, “Once those are attached the undershirt is done.” 

“Absolutely,” I smile, taking the shirt in my lap, “How much do you have left to do on your dress?”

“Oh, the hemline, the embroidery, the buttons, and fixing the parts that don’t fit right,” she says with a sigh, then taking a long swig of her bright blue spotchka.

“Do you think you’ll get it all done within the week?” I ask curiously; there’s a lot of work to be done to the disassembled pile of teal fabric that lies on the table.

“Oh yes; with the help of what seems like all the women in the village, I think it’ll get done before the celebration,” she explains.

“That’s good to hear,” I smile at her. 

Like a handful of the other young women, Omera Ryker is preparing for her Shawa ceremony, a coming of age tradition that the people of Sorgan celebrate once they reach the age of eighteen. Omera will be the first of the seven children in her family to celebrate, so the anticipation is high. Her mother, Winta, is sitting across from me, meticulously working on the details of the ceremonious collar, or the akelma, that her daughter will wear, a bigger and more detailed version of the everyday collars that Sorganians wear. One of Omera’s sisters, Rivka, is threading large beads to make a necklace; no doubt getting her own ideas for her Shawa that will take place in a few years. 

Across from me sits Winta. Her dark long hair draped over her shoulder as she sits embroidering her daughter’s dress sleeves. Well respected by the whole community, Winta is the unofficial leader of the village. Supposedly like her mother before her, she is loved and trusted by everyone. Winta was one of the first people Ben and I met when we arrived and she helped convince the village to let us stay. 

“Rey, do you remember your Shawa?” Winta smiles, looking up at me from her tedious work.

I grin, remembering the memories of that day, “Of course.”

Omera, comes and sits on the ground in front her mother, “I remember staying up all night dancing and eating all the sweets.”

“I believe it was the only time a wedding was incorporated into the celebration,” Winta explains.

“Doesn’t Artoo have holoclips of that night?” Rivka chimes in.

“He should; if he doesn’t I’m going to sell him for parts,” and as if on que Threepio and Artoo come around the corner followed by a group of all the rambunctious younglings of the village. 

“Oh my! Good morning everyone,” Threepio stops in front of our hut, “We are taking all the children to the krill ponds for practice.”

“Mummy!” Brynn squeals as she runs from the back of the group into my lap. Her best friend and the youngest member of the Ryker family, Bastian, saunters over to sit next to his sister on the ground. 

“Artoo, do you by chance have the holoclips from Rey’s wedding and Shawa?” Rivka asks to the droid. She stands up and stretches her arms over her head.

Artoo beeps an exclamation then rolls over to us. The first projection he plays is of me and Ben facing each other in our borrowed ceremonial clothes. Shawa outfits are very beautiful. Young women wear a small hat that is attached to a long turquoise veil which is draped over her back. There’s the akelma that hangs from her shoulders, and underneath a silky white long-sleeved blouse. A teal skirt is embroidered with delicate designs, each individual and unique. The skirt stops just short of her ankles to show teal boots. The men wear their akelma over an embroidered teal vest on top of their white long-sleeved shirts. Their grey or brown pants are tucked into their boots and the outfit is finished off with a silk cloth tied around their waists. Some men choose to wear a wrap around their head while others style their hair. In the projection Ben and I look as Sorganian as we possibly could. 

“We don’t need—,” I start but Rivka excitedly cuts me off.

“Shhh,” Rivka hisses, her dark eyes intensely focused on the holoclip. I put my cheek to Brynn’s forehead as we watch. Behind us, the other younglings have lost interest and are trying to play jokes on Threepio. 

“This was the wedding ceremony,” I narrate. Sorganian weddings are short and to the point. Our hands were bound with an old ceremonial scarf that is used in every villagers’ wedding, signifying not only our union to each other but also to the village as a whole. We repeat a few words after the officiant. At the end, we kneel on the ground and wait while everyone in the village comes up to us, put their hand on our shoulder or head. Some people say a small prayer, others give us words of congratulations, while others simply do the act and walk away. 

“Always a special part,” Winta remarks, looking up from her embroidery for a second before continuing. 

The Holoclip changes to another scene, the Shawa ceremony. The Shawa takes place every year during the summer equinox. It’s a party to celebrating a person’s entry into adulthood by adorning themselves with garments they spent months making. The night is filled with dancing, feasting, and a lot of spotchka. 

Artoo clicks off the holoclip.

“Shawa night is my favorite night of the whole year,” Rivka sighs, picking up her beads once again.

“My Shawa is gonna have lightsabers in it,” Brynn whispers in my ear before sliding off my lap and running back to her peers. 

Threepio turns to gather the children that are sitting behind him, “Wasn’t that enlightening children? Come along, we must get to the krill pond before all the krill are harvested!”

***

Brynn’s POV

Threepio has decided to take us on an outing to learn more about how to krill farm; so naturally, Bass and I have other plans. We were lucky enough the grown-ups distracted the metal-heads for a bit, but it didn’t last long enough. After walking for what seems like hours, Bass and I slowly start to separate from the group. We slip behind a small storage hut and hide there for a few minutes. 

“Okay, c’mon,” I urge confidently, taking Bass’ hand to lead him out of our weak hiding spot. He doesn’t budge though.

“How do you know nobody’s out there?” he asks. I’ve explained the force to him multiple times, but he still doesn’t understand the scope of what it means.

“The force Bass, the force!” I tell him, “I know because I can feel that there’s nobody else out there.”

“Are you sure?” He asks. I can’t tell if he’s actually nervous about being caught or if he’s trying to play coy.

“You wanna check?”

Bass slides in front of me to peak his head out. He moves it to the left, then to the right before reluctantly saying, “Coast is clear.”

“Told you.”

We sprint out from behind the hut, along the narrow pathway between the krill ponds, through the tall golden grass, and into the cover of the trees until we are at the bottom of a ravine.

“Now what?” I croak out, breathing heavily.

“Dunno,” Bastian gasps.

We take a moment to catch our breath. It’s a lot cooler down in the ravine, so the sweat on my body feels extra cold. We walk a little farther until we come to a very large, very branchy old tree.

Looking up we both say, “Wanna climb the tree?” 

I turn abruptly to face Bass, smiling from ear to ear, “the one that climbs the highest wins. The loser has to …. Lick my shoe!!”

Bass grimaces, “Only if you promise not to cheat.”

“How would I cheat?”

His only answer is the piercing gaze of his eyes, one eyebrow raised, and his arms folding over his chest.

I roll my eyes, “Okay, fine!”

Bass walks to the other side of the big tree and we start our accent. I scurry up the trunk, my boots scraping on the bark. The branches on the tree are unlike the usual trees in the forest; I barely have to reach to haul my body up to the next branch. This is like walking up a ladder. The tree is practically bare, so we can easily see our surroundings. We climb high enough to see over the ravine, and I can just barely make out the village.

All of a sudden I hear a snap, a scream and a painful thump on the ground.

“Bass!!” 

I look down to the trunk of the tree. 

He doesn’t respond verbally, just rolls over on his back.

“Are you okay?” I yell down to him.

“No.” He cries out. From this point the angle of his leg doesn’t look healthy and I can see he’s bleeding.

“I’m coming down!” I say. 

Going down the way I came would take a long time…

“Hurry!” Bastian pleads, “It really hurts.”

“Hold on!” I close my eyes. You’ve seen mum and dad use the force to cushion their fall, you can do it.

But they haven’t taught you yet.

I hear Bass let out a painful moan.

You have to try. 

I balance on the branch that I’m on, and with all the bravery in my heart I jump. I focus all my energy in willing the force to guide me down gently. As my feet hit the ground my knees buckle, but instead of resisting the impact, I curl my body under me and somersault out of the fall.

I don’t waste time on reflecting on how epic that was, because Bass if sobbing now. I rush over to him to inspect his wound.

It’s bleeding badly. 

“Go get help?” Bass asks, tears are running down his dirty face. His clothes are tattered, and full of dirt. His hands are scraped up, red and puffy. He’s got a shiner on his cheek and a cut on his forehead.

“No that’ll take too much time,” I say, “My parents have used the force to fix cuts that I get sometimes…but I don’t know if it’ll work with something this bad, or if I can even do it.”

“Can you try?” Bass pleads.

I hesitate.

“Try, Brynn,” Bass pleads.

I nod. Mimicking what I’ve seen my parents do countless times for a scrape or a bruise, I put my hand to his bloody leg. I clear my mind and only thing of healing, calming, and being without pain. I can feel the panic within Bastian, and I do my best to calm him. At the same time, I imagine the wound scabbing over and healing. It takes all of my focus, all of my strength. Sweat starts to run down my face with the concentration. I don’t think I’ve ever focused this hard before. My heart is beating so fast with adrenaline and the fear of not being able to help my best friend. I can feel the force working against by with the guilt I feel. I suggested we climb the dumb tree. I push the negative thought aside and focus again on healing the wound.

I repeat the words my mum says, “I am one with the Force. I am one with the Force.”

“Brynn!” Bass gasps.

I jerk my hand away instantly, like I’ve touch something hot, thinking that I’ve hurt him more.

“You did it!” 

I look at him with disbelief, then at my hands just before everything goes dark.

…

Ben’s POV

I’m carrying unconscious Brynn in my arms. Rey is walking behind me, almost tripping on my heels. We are headed to our hut. Bastian came running back to the village and quickly explained what had happened. 

Even before we made it into that part of the forest where Brynn was lying, I could tell something was off. It was a cold familiar feeling. I could tell Rey felt it too when she put her hand on my arm as a warning. We didn’t have time to discuss what it was, our only focus was on Brynn. 

I look down at her tranquil face. Her dark eyelashes brushing her cheeks as she sleeps. When we reach our hut, I tuck her into her bed beside the stairs. Immediately, I can hear Tobbi meowing outside the door. 

“Ben,” Rey whispers, her eyes wide with concern.

I look up to her, “I know. I felt it too.”


End file.
